Wilayat al-Faqih (Guardianship of the Islamic Jurisprudent) from the Perspective of Islamic Schools of Law

One of the most genuine Islamic thoughts in which all Muslim schools of law believe is the belief in Wilayat al-Faqih (guardianship of the Islamic jurisprudent). This shared belief itself is rooted in another principle discussed in all schools of jurisprudence; namely, the idea that the legitimacy and integrity of an act is subject to the belief in Wilayah. No matter if it is the act of an individual person relating to himself/ herself or to others or the act of all individuals in a community, a whole society, the act must be carried out with the belief in Wilayah. The presence of a person who can run the society with Wilayah is essential. Necessarily or preferably, the person who takes the responsibility to manage public affairs must be a Faqih (Islamic jurisprudent). As a result, the ruler of a society in Islamic law has the two features of Wilayah (guardianship) and Fiqahah (jurisprudence), with the ruler called Wali al-Faqih and the government called Wilayat al-Faqih.